Athletes for Peace: Exploring the Role of Sports and Emotional Skills in Preventing Youth Violence in Brazil’s Favelas

Last registered on September 21, 2026
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Pre-Trial

Trial Information

General Information

Title
Athletes for Peace: Exploring the Role of Sports and Emotional Skills in Preventing Youth Violence in Brazil’s Favelas
RCT ID
AEARCTR-0018981
Initial registration date
September 14, 2026

Initial registration date is when the trial was registered.

It corresponds to when the registration was submitted to the Registry to be reviewed for publication.

First published
September 21, 2026, 9:15 AM EDT

First published corresponds to when the trial was first made public on the Registry after being reviewed.

Locations

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Primary Investigator

Name
Isabela Salgado Pereira
Affiliation
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Other Primary Investigator(s)

PI Name
Joana Monteiro
PI Affiliation
FGV/LEME
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PI Name
Julia Guerra
PI Affiliation
LEME
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PI Name
Lelys Dinarte
PI Affiliation
World Bank
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Additional Trial Information

Status
In development
Start date
2026-04-01
End date
2027-12-31
Keywords
Behavior, Crime, Violence, & Conflict, Education
Additional Keywords
JEL code(s)
Secondary IDs
Prior work
This trial does not extend or rely on any prior RCTs.
Abstract
This pilot study aims to inform a full-scale evaluation of the Athletes for Peace program, a sports-based and social-emotional learning (SEL) intervention targeting youth violence and crime reduction in Maré, an area of Brazil marked by the presence of armed criminal groups. In partnership with Fight for Peace, the pilot will test school-based recruitment strategies and assess the feasibility of survey instruments to measure outcomes such as emotional regulation, mental health, and peer dynamics in a challenging security context. Additionally, the study will evaluate the availability and quality of administrative records for tracking long-term impacts. Insights from this pilot will shape the full randomized evaluation, providing critical evidence for NGOs and policymakers in Brazil on effective strategies to address youth violence and crime in the short and long-run.
External Link(s)

Registration Citation

Citation
Dinarte, Lelys et al. 2026. "Athletes for Peace: Exploring the Role of Sports and Emotional Skills in Preventing Youth Violence in Brazil’s Favelas." AEA RCT Registry. September 21. https://doi.org/10.1257/rct.18981-1.0
Sponsors & Partners
Experimental Details

Interventions

Intervention(s)
The team aims to evaluate the Athletes for Peace program, an intervention designed to support adolescent development in Maré through boxing and martial arts sessions combined with social-emotional development activities and a referral system for additional social support for participants and their families. The program spans 30 weeks and takes place after school hours. Each week, participants engage in 2 hours of boxing and martial arts group activities and 1 hour of group-based social-emotional development. The program’s methodology draws on principles from psychology and anthropology to address risk factors that lead adolescents toward violence and criminal activities (Dowdney, 2003, 2007).

The sports activities target improvements in students' physical and mental health, using training sessions that build skills applicable both in sport and in daily life. Personal development sessions explore topics relevant to participants' lives, such as mental health, self-control, self-esteem, perseverance, relationships with peers and family, and future aspirations. Additionally, adolescents and their families can access specialized psychosocial support and receive assistance with job placement and legal services. These needs are identified through monthly group meetings with family members and individual consultations, after which the Fight for Peace team connects participants and families to local support networks.

By working with young people living in communities experiencing poverty and violence, this project aims to better understand the psychological factors associated with engagement in crime, as well as test the effects of sports on deterring such behaviors.
Intervention Start Date
2027-01-18
Intervention End Date
2027-12-17

Primary Outcomes

Primary Outcomes (end points)
Mental and physical health, emotional regulation, socio-emotional skills, relationship with family and peers, school performance, violent behaviors
Primary Outcomes (explanation)

Secondary Outcomes

Secondary Outcomes (end points)
Secondary Outcomes (explanation)

Experimental Design

Experimental Design
We will recruit 400 individuals aged 10-12 years old to register in the program. 150 will be randomly assinged to join the program, while 250 will remain in a waitlist, serving as the comparison group.
Experimental Design Details
Not available
Randomization Method
Participants in the registration list will be randomized via a computer program.
Randomization Unit
The randomization unit is the individual.
Was the treatment clustered?
No

Experiment Characteristics

Sample size: planned number of clusters
N/A
Sample size: planned number of observations
400 students and their families.
Sample size (or number of clusters) by treatment arms
150 students to treatment and 250 to control.
Minimum detectable effect size for main outcomes (accounting for sample design and clustering)
Supporting Documents and Materials
IRB

Institutional Review Boards (IRBs)

IRB Name
Heartland
IRB Approval Date
2026-02-03
IRB Approval Number
020626-1320
Analysis Plan